Elves

Overview
The Elves have a long and turbulent history in Ixallia. It is said they are descended from fey spirits that took physical form to walk among mortals. Most elves are magically gifts, with a unique connection to nature. Once immortal, this blessing was taken from them when the primary Elven god, Orelandris, was believed to have been slain, when the war among the gods reached its climatic end. Many of the divine realms became closed to the material plan after this cosmic event.

Though still able to live much longer lives than other races, their powers were greatly diminished. It would not be long before they receded, abandoning much of their territory to preserve what was left. This would give way for other races to rise to prominence. Centuries later, a legendary civil war broke out, splintering the Elven race into several factions, and their famous rivalry with the Dwarves depleted what little strength they had left.

After the fall, many of the old elven gods were either silent or dead. Today, the different factions were saved or turned to new gods that have come to define their cultures today.

ASUR - High Elves
West of the Commonwealth, is a nation of Elves called Sumara Kingdom. They refer to themselves the Asur,

or but they are more commonly known as High Elves. The Asur have spent many centuries attempting to reclaim and rebuild their lost culture. Despite their prayers often falling upon deaf ears, the Asur still worship the old gods as their ancestors once did.

Three shining cities that float in the clouds represent what remains of the Eldari legacy, at least in the eyes of the Asur. Keepers of advanced Arcana Tech, and a wealth of lost knowledge, they are very weary of outsiders. They have viewed the progress of others as a theft of their people and heritage, and in the past, rarely tolerated outsiders into their lands. Perhaps their greatest strength come from the artefacts left over from the golden age of their people, before the dark times that fractured their race.

Despite all their power, they have little desire to exercise it, focusing on preserving what is left of their culture. Much was lost and even the High Elf society that exists today is one that was only formed and pieced together some centuries after the dust settled.

After the alliance was formed to halt the darkness, som Sumara left the three kingdoms and help found a new home with the Commonwealth. These High Elves, aided by their new friends, retook the ruined city of Valencia, that had too long been under Orc control. Restored, Valencia has become a new Elven haven, a place to relearn what had been lost, and unlike to the Sumara Kingdom, far more open to outsiders.

Appearance - Most High Elves are taller than humans, lean, with beautiful features. They are considered very attractive by most other races, often over romanticized by some. A common feature of the Asur are their ears, which are longer than other elven peoples, and pointed up. They tend to have lighter eye colours, with even purple, green, and pink hues among them. They are taller, faster, and often stronger physically than most races, and have developed a cultural attitude of superiority. This has made them a little frustrating for other races to deal with, even for other elves, but the trading rights are usually worth it.

SYLVAN- Wood Elves
After the Elven empire fell, those that were forced out of the shining cities took refuge in the forests. These Elves, led a difficult life for for centuries before the spirits of the woods took pity on them. Regaining their connections with the gods and spirits of the Earth Mother, these elves would be known as the Sylvan, or most commonly known as Wood Elves.

Most Eselyth live in nomadic tribes, like the Wood Elves of the Everglade Forests. Though there are some that live in more permanent settlements, making their homes among the giant trees of the Ehti Valley. Most are reclusive, preferring the company of nature than the loud noises made by other races. Then there are some tribes that are hyper territorial, protecting the green with extreme prejudice, and will kill any who enter their woods. It is unfortunate, that these particular tribes of Wood Elves have create a negative stereotype for most other races.

After the formation of the Commonwealth, many Wood Elf tribes within the Northern areas of the Everglade Forest, agreed to join but under very unique conditions, dividing the great would into two regions. This newly formed region would become its own province, strictly overseen by the tribes of the Eselyth that live there. It was a surprise to many that the Commonwealth would agree to this, but as a result it gained a much larger territory, resources found nowhere else, and a powerful ally that they could call upon when needed. Most importantly, it allowed the Commonwealth to expand further west.

Appearance - The Wood Elves are similar physically to their High Elf cousins, but are normally more muscular and agile. Their skin are often more tan to dark in hue, with hair tones in the brown, black, and green range. Sometimes Wood Elves born in the autumn have blonde and red hair. Most have green eyes, with some having hazel and slightly reddish colour. Blue seem the least common, and on very rare occasions, a handful are blessed with silver eyes. Facial tattoos are relatively common, with some body art less so. These designs are often depictions of nature or spirits, commonly a symbol of honour among communities. Each tribe tends to have a unique design to them, making it a little easier to distinguish Wood Elves from each other. Some tribes use these tattoos symbol of adulthood, or to brand them as a very specific role in the tribe, such as a hunter or chieftain. There are so some brands to mark someone as a traitor or an exile, usually permanent scars on one's face for all to see and know.

Origins of the Druki
Long ago, when the Eldar cities burned and fell to ruin, groups of researchers and civilians alike fled into the deep underground levels of their great towers and research stations. As the surface was wrought with destruction, they decided to seal themselves away, hoping to wait out the destruction in the safety of the earth. They used the remaining working arcana-tech of their failing science to modify themselves at the genetic level, removing their need for sunlight to live, and adapting their senses for low light and fleet movement. There, underground, the survivors hid and scraped out a new life, slowly adjusting and evolving further over the generations. The results are the modern day Druki.

Culture
To this day, the Druki are insular, secretive, and private. To the aboveground races, not much is known of them, and sightings are usually accompanied by whispers and curiosity, if not outright prejudice and suspicion. They maintain a pragmatic "survive at all costs" attitude, are often serious and dry in tone and humor. They value intelligence and integrity, and despise those who break loyalty or lose control of their baser instincts. They may appear aloof and cold in their interactions with others, but it is often done only out of a sign of respect. In person, Druki may open up, once trust is established.

The Druki are raised in Dens, loose collectives usually centered around the research station or tower they initially fled into. Many Dens specialise in specific trades and skills. Some might grow certain species of mushrooms, others might develop exclusively textiles. A great many are devoted to research, creating substances and magics under much looser ethical supervision that are unlike anything on the surface. Trade from Den to Den is their principal occupation, with the protection and maintenance of trade routes being a large avenue of employment.

The Druki maintain strong family bonds to the Den they are raised in. However, due to the limited movement of populations, genetic diversity has become a problem over the years. The modern Druki have dealt with this in a few ways: When a Druki turns 18, they are encouraged by their Den to leave and travel to others, braving the dangers of the underground. This ensures that only the best of their race survive, and also helps spread diversity. Tokens and trophies brought back from the surface are highly prized, as is food and art. However, prized above all else are objects of magic or science, which can be used to further the Druki's own research endeavors. An individual might advance significantly in rank and social standing should they secure something of particular research value for their Den.

They also have rigid, unquestionable rules on relationships and breeding. Family trees are heavily archived, and in order to breed, an extensive background check is done on the prospective mates to ensure genetic diversity. Furthermore, they have a strict, two-child policy. It is not uncommon for marriages to be very selective, with a smaller pool than the aboveground races, marriages may often have a contractual emphasis as well.

However, in some long forgotten pockets underground, secret Dens live on, slowly degenerating and mutating beyond the scope of what their arcana can heal. These inbred recluses suffer deformity, madness, and sometimes travel to the surface or to other Dens, haunting and attacking in their desperation and insanity. Much of the Druki's bad reputation with other races come from these unrelegated recluses, who are despised and hunted by their own kind in turn.

Politics
Politically, Druki are one of the most socialist and collectivist societies in Ixallia. They elect leaders, but every voice is given equal weight, and they hold regular elections and votes on regulations or policies. The parties tend to be heavily socialist, but economically conservative, and xenophobic. Anarchy and unrest is uncommon- when dissent is vocalised, it is usually respectfully debated, often with a scientific and logical tone that is reminiscent of the origins of the founders of the race.

Diet
The Druki have adapted to be much more carnivorous than their other elf cousins, as plant life is sparse underground. They do farm large crops of mushrooms, lichen, and algae, but the bulk of their diet is animalian, particularly of the cave fishes and crustaceans that are a staple of their diet. They herd and breed flocks of insects like crickets, snails, and pillbugs, which can be turned into flours, or fed in turn to flocks of cave frogs and salamanders for meat. As with their economically conscious culture, they use all parts of the animal, with the exception of the brain, which they hold in reverence. In poorer or more rural Dens, the Druki will hunt and eat almost anything they can, even sentient creatures like Kobolds or Goblins, though this is usually considered a last resort. Instead, enemies caught by warrior Druki are fed to their fishes.

Art, Fashion and Music
To outsiders, the music and art of the Druki are dismal and barren. Though art and music does exist, its tone is often peppered with a kind of melancholy sadness, but to those raised with it, it is not without a hint of dry humour. Tragic dramas and dark comedies, full of ironies and twist and turns abound. Because of the underground environment, visual art often has a muted, dull palette, punctuated by bright neons or pastels from crystals of luminescent fungi.

The clothing of the Druki, in contrast, can be magnificent in its colours and subtle textures. The same pastels from the luminescent creatures of the dark are a status symbol, with accents of silver, gold, or black. Their battle armor, however, is usually black, for stealth, and chitinous in design. Inspired by the creatures they make their home with, they tend to have an organic, natural look, with fierce spikes and carapace-like plates.

=== Religion === The cult of Lolth

Around ___(time), a cult of Lolth sprung into existence. Deep in the dark underground, her influence and presence grew stronger and she began to warp the minds of Druki who strayed too close to her influence. The cult encouraged its members to strike up aboveground, sowing chaos and evil into all, and contributing to the bad reputation of the Druki. The ultimate goals of this cult are yet unknown, but they continue to spread with disease-like contagion and fervor.

The Piercing Palm

As the Druki suffered losses of their own from the cult, along with losses from their battles with the Dwarves, a new style of self defense evolved. These Druki were trained in science and medicine, driving to exploit a foes' weakness and destroy them in assassin-like efficiency. The first of this Way, an individual who had wandered far and wide in the world on her coming-of-age walkabout, had learned certain techniques from the Yuan-ti assassins, and returned home to hone this craft with the Drukis own knowledge of the body and mind. The Way of the Piercing Palm was born.

Relationships with other races
Dwarves

After the Druki retreated and established themselves underground, they had several generations of peace before the Dwarves came barreling through the underground at them. The unconscientious, wasteful (by comparison) dwarves who readily threw their weight around irritated the Druki, and began a longstanding feud between the two. Skirmishes and strife abounded, and a vicious era of military research and cunning on the part of the Druki began. To the current era, tensions are hard between the Druki and any dwarf, while only the dwarves who belonged to the clans that traveled down below and interacted with the Druki return that animosity.

VEANIIR - SEA ELVES - DEEPKIN
Thought to be a fairytale, the Veaniir are a race of Eldari that adapted to the deep sea. They have built a vast empire below the waves, and have remained hidden for many centuries, rarely coming to the surface except out of sheer curiosity.

Some believe they are descended from a group of Eldari that used their mastery of magic and genetic manipulation to give them the ability to breathe underwater. The majority of the Veaniir are unable to survive on the surface, but a few can, often belonging to royal houses. Little is known about them, and the rare few that do wander among surface dwellers rarely return home. Appearance - A defining feature of the Veaniir are their gills at the side of their neck that remain closed when not in water. Their ears have become fin like shapes instead of the traditional elongated ears of most elves. And their eyes tend to have a blue, green, or purple tint overall, giving the impression their eyes are just one colour. This is actually a protective layer that allows them to see underwater, but is also sensitive to light, which is why man Veaniir often are seen wearing sunglasses or goggles to help adjust to the brightness of the surface. Some Veaniir even have colour patterns on their skin, with the ability to glow under low light conditions at will. This is a form of bioluminescent and the brightness and pattern are usually tied to their emotional states.